How much does it cost to move a 1 bedroom home?
- It costs about £850 for a 1 bedroom home move by a removal company
- It costs about £275 for a full packing service for a 1 bedroom home move
- It costs about £180 per person for a labour-only service
- It costs about £210 + VAT to hire a van and the moving equipment for a 1 bed home move
- It costs about £80 for a 1 bedroom home packing materials kit
- It costs about £55 to buy enough boxes for a 1 bedroom home move
- It costs about £17 per week to hire enough plastic totes for a 1 bedroom home move
- It costs about £20 per week to rent a storage unit big enough for a 1 bedroom home move
Read a comprehensive guide to the average cost of moving a 1-2 bedroom home.
How much does it cost to move a 2 bedroom home?
- It costs about £1500 for a 2 bedroom home move by a removal company
- It costs about £475 for a full packing service for a 2 bedroom home move
- It costs about £300 per person for a labour only service
- It costs about £210 + VAT to hire a van and the moving equipment for a 2 bed home move
- It costs about £100 for a 2 bedroom home packing materials kit
- It costs about £70 to buy enough boxes for a 2 bedroom home move
- It costs about £34 per week to hire enough plastic totes for a 2 bedroom home move
- It costs about £40 per week to rent a storage unit big enough for a 2 bedroom home move
How much does it cost to move a 3 bedroom home?
- It costs about £1850 for a 3 bedroom home move by a removal company
- It costs about £775 for a full packing service for a 3 bedroom home move
- It costs about £380 per person for a labour only service
- It costs about £375 + VAT to hire a van and the moving equipment for a 2 bed home move
- It costs about £140 for a 2 bedroom home packing materials kit
- It costs about £90 to buy enough boxes for a 3 bedroom home move
- It costs about £42 per week to hire enough plastic totes for a 3 bedroom home move
- It costs about £60 per week to rent a storage unit big enough for a 3 bedroom home move
Read a comprehensive guide to the average cost of moving a 3 bedroom home
How much does it cost to move a 4 bedroom home?
- It costs about £3000 for a 4 bedroom home move by a removal company
- It costs about £975 for a full packing service for a 4 bedroom home move
- It costs about £420 per person for a labour only service
- It costs about £375 + VAT to hire a van and the moving equipment for a 4 bed home move
- It costs about £190 for a 4 bedroom home packing materials kit
- It costs about £110 to buy enough boxes for a 4 bedroom home move
- It costs about £60 per week to hire enough plastic totes for a 4 bedroom home move
- It costs about £100 per week to rent a storage unit big enough for a 4 bedroom home move
How much does to cost to move to Europe?
The cost of moving to Europe will depend on the distance traveled and how your things are transported. Transporting goods by air is the most expensive but usually quickest way, whilst road transport is the most cost-effective option for most European home moves.
Here are the costs of moving to the top European destinations for home movers. A comprehensive price list for every country in Europe can be found at the bottom of this section.
How much does it cost to move from the UK to Germany?
- It costs between £2,500-£3,500 to transport a 1 bedroom home with no furniture
- It costs between £4,300-£7,200 to transport a 3 bedroom house with furniture
How much does to cost to move to Spain?
- It costs between £2,300-£3,400 to transport a 1 bedroom home with no furniture
- It costs between £3,900-£7,700 to transport a 3 bedroom house with furniture
How much does it cost to move to Ireland?
- It costs between £1400-£2,800 to transport a 1 bedroom home with no furniture
- It costs between £3,800-£7,100 to transport a 3 bedroom house with furniture
How much does it cost to move to France?
- It costs between £2,000-£3,900 to transport a 1 bedroom home with no furniture
- It costs between £2,600-£7,600 to transport a 3 bedroom house with furniture
Find out how much it costs to move to Europe in this comprehensive guide
The prices quoted above are averages, and as we have seen, there are many factors that will affect those average prices.
How Can I save Money on My Home Moving Costs?
We all want to save money wherever we can, and moving home can be expensive, so what can you do to reduce the cost of your home move?
#1 Shop around
Don’t accept the first price from the first removal company you contact.
Look to get 3-4 price quotes so that you can compare the prices and services offered by different removal companies.
#2 Move as Few Items as Possible
Commonly referred to as decluttering, this is the one way of reducing your home moving costs whether you intend to move home yourself or hire a removal company.
Decluttering means to get rid of items that you no longer need or want.
You will reduce your packing and labour costs and may even be able to use a smaller removal vehicle by moving fewer items to your new home.
How do you declutter for a home move?
- Plan. Decide in which order you are going to declutter your home, usually, this is from the most to least cluttered.
- Set a timescale. Set yourself a realistic timescale to get each room decluttered in.
- Give yourself a goal. Have small achievable goals, such as clear a set of drawers. This will boost your morale and soon you will have cleared your first room.
- Keep only what you love. If you really love or really need an item keep it. Otherwise add it to the donate, sell or recycle pile.
- Is it cheaper to replace? Consider if it is cost-effective to move an item. Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy a replacement in your new location than pay to have the item moved. This can be particularly true of some MDF furniture which is fragile and not designed to be dismantled.
What do you do with the items you do not want anymore?
- Donate. You can donate items to friends, family or a worthy cause that are in good condition but you no longer need or want. You can also post these items on free ad websites.
- Sell. Raise some cash for your home move by selling your unwanted items.
- Recycle. Items that are broken or unserviceable can be taken to a recycling centre.
#3 Negotiate With the Removal Company
Can you negotiate the price of your move with the removal company?
- Be flexible on dates. If you are willing and able to be flexible on the date of your move you may be able to get a better price.
- Move later in the day. Most people tend to move in the morning and be out by lunchtime. If it fits in with the removal company schedule can you get a discount by moving later in the day?
- Share a lorry. If you are not very much, can you share a lorry with another home mover?
- Speak to the removal company. Ask your removal company what would reduce the cost of the home move. If you don’t ask you won’t get.
#4 Hire Plastic Tote Boxes
Packing materials can be extremely expensive. And then what do you do with all the packing materials after you have unpacked?
Although the majority of packing boxes are recycled these days, there is an eco-friendly option to using cardboard packing boxes for your home move.
Plastic tote boxes or crates can be a very cost-effective option for packing your things.
Not only will you not need to buy reels and reels of packing tape but plastic crates are very sturdy, they stack safely, will not get damaged if you move in wet weather, and will be delivered and collected when you have finished with them.
#5 Find Recycled Boxes
There is nothing cheaper than free and it is easy to get free boxes to pack your things in.
However, you should only use boxes that have not been water damaged at any time as this will affect the rigidity of the cases.
Where can you find moving boxes for free?
- Friends and Family: If you know someone who has just moved home ask whether you can have their used boxes. Social media is a great way to reach out to lots of people so make use it.
- Free ad websites: There are plenty of free ad websites where people list their boxes that they no longer want or need. Try gumtree.co.uk, www.freeads.co.uk or www.preloved.co.uk
- Shops: Seek out shops that have their stock delivered in good strong boxes, like off-licences. Electrical shops may have a TV box that they don’t need. Cycle shops have some great sized boxes to pack your TV in.
- Industrial sites: A quick drive around the local industrial park should net you plenty of boxes, but be sure to ask before just taking them.
- Recycling centres: Hanging around your local recycling centre may pay dividends, after all, that is where people who have just moved may be taking their used boxes.
- Removal companies: Your local removal company may be to help. Ask, you have nothing to lose.
- New neighbours: If someone has just moved into your street they may be only too happy to let you have the boxes they have finished with.
Read more: Where to find free moving boxes
#6 Use Alternative Packing Materials
Whilst most people will automatically think of cardboard boxes to move their stuff to their new home there are some alternatives that could save you some money.
- Plastic tote boxes: As already mentioned these can be a great alternative to cardboard boxes.
- Rubbish sacks: Good strong rubbish sacks are great for moving large soft items like blankets and towels. And you can reuse the bags after the move.
- Drawers: You can leave things in their drawers as long as the contents will not get damaged in transit. Just pack some towels over any loose contents then cling film the drawer. It will save money on boxes and space in the removal van.
- Vacuum sealed bags: These are great for seasonal clothes, duvets, and blankets. And the added bonus is that you don’t need to unpack them until you need them and they are easier to store.
- Rubbish bins: These are great for moving cleaning products or odds and ends.
- Bags: Suitcases, rucksacks, and holdalls are great for moving clothes in.
- Soft textiles: These are great for gap filling and will save you a small fortune in the cost of bubble wrap.
- Socks: Thick socks are great for protecting glasses inside their packing boxes.
- Dried food: Packets of rice and pasta, for example, can also be used to fill gaps in the boxes but it would be a good idea to wrap them in old bags just in case they split.
- Junk Mail: Old newspapers and flyers can be used for gap filling too. But avoid wrapping any items in used newspapers or magazines as the ink can rub off onto your items.
Find out all about alternative packing materials for moving home.
#7 Get Friends to Help
If you can rely on the help of friends and family when you move home then a self-move may prove to be cost-effective.
But bear in mind that moving home is no fun and is hard work, so although your friends may at first be eager to volunteer to help, come moving day they not be quite so keen.
If you do have super reliable friends though be sure to reward them with food and drink or the offer of help with a task that they have.
Learn more about how to get friends to help with a home move.
How Do You Move Home With No Money?
If you are in a position that you need to move home but have no money then there are ways to do it.
You will need to be resourceful and resilient if you intend to move home with no savings.
In the first instance, you will need to work out if you have any spare money at all, if renting you will need a deposit and some utility companies may ask for a deposit or set up fee.
But even if you have absolutely no money to move home with there are still ways to get help.
So whether you are a student moving out for the first time, are super thrifty, or do not have the financial means, but an urgent need to move home, then here is a plan to move home with little or no money.
- Plan to move as few items as possible: The fewer items you need to move, the less money you need, and the more home moving options you will have. If you are moving just a few suitcases then moving your things by bus is an option. If you are moving the full contents of a 2 bedroom home then your options are more limited.
- Don’t move furniture: There are plenty of places where you can get furniture for free. So unless it is a family heirloom and nobody can look after the item for you, don’t take it with you. It is perfectly possible to furnish and have all you need to set up a basic home for free.
- Get stuff for free: Free ad websites on the internet are a great source for getting all your household goods from lamps to cutlery for free and social media can be another great source for finding free things.
- Barter: Can you offer a skill or time to a friend who has a van, or a car, or will help you physically pack and move things? Perhaps you can cut their lawn or paint their nails. Offering a return favour will often get you better results than just asking for help.
- Seek help from organisations: There are numerous organisations who can help you with moving costs. The Citizens Advice Bureau or Age UK are great sources of information and help. An often overlooked source of help is trade unions who often have funds for members who need urgent help.
- Ask about a grant: Many local councils offer support for home movers, not just for moving costs but for refurnishing, rent deposits, and white goods.
You will find lots more information with useful links to organisations who may help you in this guide to where to get help with moving costs.
Posted on February 18, 2020
Peter Langley
Peter is a regular contributor to the blog and a relocation specialist. He is also a seasoned UK and International homeowner, who now brings the knowledge gained from those moves, to add real-life experience to his work.
Peter has also been at various sales and marketing positions within companies in the industry so he has deep knowledge of the relocation process.
Since 2017, Peter is involved with the relocation industry in the USA as he has extensive knowledge on long distance household relocation. With his articles, he have helped tens of thousands of people plan their relocation. His work have been featured on many industry blogs and publications.
You can contact Peter at peter@mymovingreviews.com
